Trump calls Egypt’s Sisi to affirm support – statement

CAIRO: US President Donald Trump has told his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that he wants to strengthen ties with Cairo, Sisi’s office said Friday, days after it emerged Washington had cut some aid to Egypt. Egypt had protested on Wednesday a US decision to withhold some military and financial aid over human rights concerns. In a phone call with Sisi, Trump “affirmed the strength of friendship between Egypt and the United States,” the presidency said in a statement. The US president said he was keen to continue “developing relations between the two countries and surpassing any obstacles that might affect them,” according to the statement. Trump’s arrival in office in January has seen an improvement in US relations with Egypt, in contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama who took a harder line on human rights issues in the North African country.